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Following from last year’s hugely successful British Ball, the glitterati of Nanjing threw on their black ties and their party dresses once more for a night of sensational fun with a serious message. This year’s theme, based around the successful TV series, Downton Abbey, allowed for some very elegant moments – all captured on camera, of course – as attendees, in sequined dresses and Cloche Hats, tailcoats and tweed, made their entrances.
With host and sponsor The Ritz-Carlton’s elegant ballroom decked out with long white-clad tables and 1920s candelabra, the atmosphere inside matched the excitement outside and when the band, Black Diamond, kicked in, fittingly with a rendition of “Hello, Dolly”, all could be forgiven for feeling like they’d stepped back in time.
Following a delicious dinner, served by impeccably dressed waiters, the band returned to the stage and the crowd moved to the dancefloor, where the energy took on a decidedly more modern feel.
For those who needed a break from the dancing, there was, of course, a chance to try their luck in the charity casino. With no prizes being given to winners, this was purely about raising money for the chosen charities, whilst having some fun – much like the aim of the ball itself.
The two main beneficiaries of the more than 33,681 US Dollars raised were Hopeful Hearts and the Rainbow Centre. Hopeful Hearts assists with funding life-saving operations for local children, often abandoned because of their condition, or because they come from a farming community and/or low-income families. Fully 96 percent of all money raised goes directly to paying for heart operations. Set up in 2014, the Rainbow Centre provides palliative care and hospice care for critically ill children, to make a bit of difference in the quality of their lives.
It is only thanks to the ball’s generous sponsors and supporters that such an enormous figure was raised and it is with huge appreciation that we thank our golden sponsors- LG, Bank of Nanjing, Weigang Diary; our silver sponsors- Golden Elephant City and IST; our corporate sponsor- Guze Clinic；our supporting partners-the Nanjinger, De’vine, the Ritz-Carlton Nanjing, and European Chamber; raffle sponsors- The Naked Retreats, Qiaoye International, St Regis Qingdao, Charming Clinic, the Ritz-Carlton Nanjing, Guze Clinic, Jumeirah, Hansong Technology, the Ritz-Carlton Xi'an, Neobio, Danli Wang, Qing Song Golf, Frequent Flyer, Sophie Kuo and Raining Ding.